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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26989216">Nine Lives</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morningleaf/pseuds/Morningleaf'>Morningleaf</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Donna Noble is my favorite, Fluff, Gen, He is 2000+ cmon people, No Canon Divergence, Rory Doctor friendship is underrated, That's it, The doctor gets cats, and names them after companions, it's rather obvious, that's the fic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 23:16:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,213</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26989216</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morningleaf/pseuds/Morningleaf</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Gallifreyan Cats have nine lives, and the Doctor adopts a bunch of them.<br/>Oh and he names them after his companions.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Amy Pond/Rory Williams, The Doctor &amp; Donna Noble, The Doctor (Doctor Who) &amp; Companion(s), The Doctor (Doctor Who) &amp; Rory Williams</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Meeting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Disclaimer: I own nothing</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Donna is with him when he meets the first cats.</p><p>Or more like they meet him.</p><p>They were in a marketplace on Terragon and the Doctor was focused on pulling Donna away from an increasingly flirtatious shopkeeper when he felt something nudge his leg. He looked down to see a brilliant white cat meow at him and promptly take off in the opposite direction. Donna, having noticed his shift in attention, laughed lightly and dragged him down the path the cat was taking.</p><p>“I think we should establish a rule here,” he said, as she pulled his arm out of its socket. “Don’t follow alien cats down alleyways.”</p><p>She flapped her hand dismissively. “Can’t be any worse than following you around, eh?”</p><p>“I take offense to that,” he said, lightly.</p><p>“You shouldn’t. The cat on the other hand..” she trailed off in mock-consideration.</p><p>The Doctor laughed. The cat led them around a corner where it beelined to a plain box on the side of the alley. The box rattled a bit and a stream of pitiful meowing was heard from the inside.</p><p>“I think there is another one,” said Donna in a loud whisper.</p><p>“That’s rather obvious.” She shot him a glare. The Doctor edged forward and peeked over the rim of the box to see a cream coloured cat with a bright red slash across its back. He inhaled sharply.</p><p>“What?” Donna demanded, “What is it?” She stepped forward. “Oh, the poor dear.”</p><p>The white cat leaped into the box and nudged the other’s face in greeting, it then fixed the Doctor with a clear, demanding stare.</p><p>
  <em>Do something.</em>
</p><p>The Doctor reeled back in shock.</p><p>“Donna.”</p><p>“Yes?” “These aren’t normal cats.”</p><p>“What? Of course they are!” She gestured to the pair,” What about these two scream alien to you?”</p><p>“There is the fact that one of them spoke in my mind, Donna.”</p><p>A pause. The Doctor chuckled inwardly.</p><p>She growled, “Okay then, what space hullabaloo is it this time?”</p><p>The Doctor grinned brightly, eyes twinkling. Donna’s eyes softened in affection and she let the corners of her mouth twitch up.</p><p>“They are Gallifreyan in origin. Very rare, but often found for sale in your avant-garde pet stores.” He bent down and stroked the cream coloured one and muttered softly, “These two must have escaped.”</p><p>“Are all of you bloody telepaths?” she asked wryly, “I would have liked that information before joining you on your tour of the universe.”</p><p>The doctor grinned. The white cat meowed for attention. <em>Help her</em>.</p><p>“Spaceman, carry the white one.” Donna said, shoving forward. “I’ll take buttercup here.”</p><p>“I’m sorry? What?”</p><p>“We are taking them back to the TARDIS of course.”</p><p>“We are?”</p><p>“Yup,” she said, popping the ‘p’. “Now chop chop.”</p>
<hr/><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Rose & Martha</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Disclaimer: I own nothing</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>They stayed in the TARDIS.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Donna adored them, she tied bows around their feet and cradled them in her lap. Snow, the white one, took particular delight in sleeping on top of her feet. Buttercup was far more active and she spent her time trailing the Doctor, often calling out to him to pick her up or get her out of a high place she stuck herself into. Some of the Doctor’s most cherished memories are when all of them are sitting in the library, listening to Donna read out an Agatha Christie. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They rarely conversed with their minds, in order to not exclude Donna, and they both had very unique methods of doing so. Snow projected words and sentences in a crisp, clear manner while Buttercup was wont to send images and feelings. It makes him smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And so does the picture he took of Buttercup sleeping on Donna’s head while she was asleep.</span>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were going to sit in the library but Donna shuddered the moment she saw the towering stacks of books and pulled the Doctor away. She walked into the kitchen, grabbed an apron and tied it around her waist. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sit,” she commanded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sat down on the chair, a bit dumbfounded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She grabbed the necessary items of the rack and began the process of making cookies. The events of the day circled in her brain. Her fake husband. Fake kids. And most of all, a curly-haired archaeologist who did not know who she was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should name the cats,” she said, without looking up from the bowl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Name. The. Cats.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t they already have names? Snow and Buttercup?” He leaned back in his chair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Proper names,” she stifled a sob. “They live rather long don’t they?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sat up, his face creasing, concerned. “Yes they do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you should give them proper names, they will be with you much longer than me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She let herself sniffle. She felt him squeeze her hand and heard him speak softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What should I name them then?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Donna let out a wet laugh and she wiped her face with her apron. She busied her hands with the cookie dough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cindy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor grimaced. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Allison.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Buttercup leaped onto the Doctor's lap and pushed her head into his hand. He hummed thoughtfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rose,” he muttered softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s that Spaceman?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rose,” he said. “I’ll name her Rose.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Donna smiled warmly. She pointed a batter-laden spoon at Snow. “You can be Martha.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Martha meowed in agreement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor smiled. “It fits.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>R&amp;R!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Donna Noble</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>She scratches him.</p><p> </p><p>He should have expected that.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“DONNA!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“WHAT IS IT?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“MARTHA SHREDDED MY SPARE TIES!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“HA! I TOLD YOU SHE LIKES ME BETTER!”</span>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>The doctor sat on the floor of the TARDIS and felt her soft, sad hum at his presence. He shook the water out of his hair and let tears trail their way down his cheeks. The memory of her anguished face was burned to the back of his eyelids and her desperate plea echoed around the emptiness of the TARDIS. He knew it was wrong, he knew he should have respected her wishes.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I am so sick of losing people.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt a nudge on his arm. Rose peered up at him, her eyes wide and forgiving. He looked around for Martha and was met with a cold stare, </span>
  <em>
    <span>your fault</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He sagged. Rose nudged him again and he felt her mind pulse forgiveness and comfort towards him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She screwed up her face in concentration, </span>
  <em>
    <span>alright?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He smiled. “Always”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>(“Is alright time lord code for really not alright at all?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cause I’m alright too.”)</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Donna gets a cat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She doesn't know why. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was passing a pet store and saw a jet black kitten hissing at his much bigger adversary and before she let any doubt creep into her mind, she went in and picked it up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cats, she decides, are for remembering people you have lost. It would explain why old people have so many. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>(“Who did you lose, mummy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, that’s the funny bit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A pause and a loose tear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I haven’t the foggiest.”)</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>He meets her when Amy and Rory are off canoodling somewhere in Venice. She has long vermillion fur and sky blue eyes. She is sitting on a sack of potatoes and looking down on him even when he stands above her. He will never know how she manages it. She scratches him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He should have expected that. He kneels down anyways. “Hello, Donna Noble.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The cat flicks her ear and yawns.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You are a dunce. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The Doctor’s eyes prickle but he smiles.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>R&amp;R!</p><p>Love,<br/>Morningleaf</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Yes, I made them telepaths.</p><p>Morningleaf</p></blockquote></div></div>
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